Tag: lemons

I have been looking so forward to starting this blog about being positive and living your best life as a single mom, and then, oh the irony. Today, the day I finally took the plunge and bought my domain, my toilet overflowed ALL OVER THE DOWNSTAIRS.

Tomorrow morning, my oldest daughter will be put to sleep for the first time for a minor procedure and her dad is not able to make it due to being between jobs and living in another state. My youngest just got over the flu. And then this happens.

Today is a day when I feel like I have been dealt a few lemons. Too many lemons. Well, I’m trying to do my best to make the best darn lemonade I can.

We are all dealt lemons sometimes. Divorce. Job loss. Moving from somewhere we love. Sickness. Death of a loved one. I know I have had all of those thrown at me and more. But it isn’t about the lemons, what matters is our mindset when they come.

When lemons come my way, I try to deal with them and stay positive, even when I want to curl up in a ball and cry (and sometimes I do that first, just being real here). However, I don’t stay in that place. I reset my mind on the positive, and these are some of the ways that I am able to do that, even when everything is bad.

Look for the positive in the situation. There is always a positive. Tonight, I caught the water before it ruined the entire downstairs. That’s a pretty big positive.

Meditate on your blessings. My kids are generally healthy. The flu did not spread through our home (knock on wood). Speaking of homes, we have one and it is a nice one in my favorite place to live. I have a wonderful family and lots of friends. I am not doing this thing all by myself, even if it feels like that in the moment when no one else wants to take care of my sick kid and no one else is there when the toilet overflows right when I need a break.

Ask for help. Tonight I called my parents for advice on how to deal with the plumbing issue (and to commiserate with them). When my daughter had the flu, I posted on my neighborhood page looking for someone to bring me Elderberry syrup (I had cash) and I had two different strangers bring me things I needed to take care of her since I couldn’t get out. Even though my daughter’s dad won’t be there tomorrow, my boyfriend will be at the hospital when we get there and my dad is going to come when he has to leave so I won’t be alone. If you need help, ask for it. Then pay it forward.

Create more positives. If your life right now is just one big lemon, focus on the problems and tackle them one by one. Have no friends? Make some (get started here). Dating life stagnant when you don’t want it to be? Put yourself out there. Unhappy with your health? Start making choices to move towards your goal. Create more positives in your life instead of focusing on the bad.

Accept that life will not be perfect. Life is not perfect for anyone. There are some things that we just have to deal with. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Dealing with an ex on a regular basis because you have children together isn’t super fun. Focus on the things you can change and control, and look for the good in the situations you can’t change.

I am not perfect, and sometimes I have to have a bit of a breakdown before I get to the stage where I can look at the positives, but it really does help to reset my mind and look for the good in a situation instead of wallowing in the bad. Because no matter how great a person’s life looks, there is always at least a little bad. And no matter how awful your situation or mine looks, there is always at least a little good.

What are your tips for keeping a positive mindset when it is raining lemons?